Improved stay for trunks



" tinned saw LOUIS HILLEBRAND, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Le ters Patent No. 103,181, dated May 17, 1870.

' IMPROVED are? IOR 'rR NKs.

The Schedule referred. to in these Letters Patent and making pan of thesame.

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS HILLEBRAND, of the city and-county ofPhiladelphia, and State of. Pennsylvania, have invented a new andimproved Trunk- Stay; and I do hereby' declarethe following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, sufiicient to enableothersskilled in theart to which my invention appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings making partof this specification, inrwhich- Figures 1 and 2 represent side viewsofmy invention, in open and closed states.

Figures 3 and 4 are Views of a modification thereof. S milar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the severaifigures.

My invention consists in connecting to thebody and lid of a trunk one ormore pairsof braces, which are pivoted to each other, and so constructedthat, when the lid is raised, they engage or lock-with each other, andthereby retain the lid in an open state, and prevent its falling orclosing unless, or until, they are disengaged,. which operation isreadily accomplished, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawiugs-- A represents a body of a trunk, and B the lid thereof,which parts may be of ordinary form'ofconstruction. f

To the frame-work of said body and lid I pivot, respectively, braces GD, which are of 'diiferent lengths,

and by preference of fiat pieces of metal. They are pivoted to eachother at. such points that one brace 'shall be prolonged beyond thepivot. This prolongation E has formed on its face a depression, opening,or slot I and the other brace hasfa projection, G, which'I prefer tostamp or strike"up from the metal. f

The projection is designed to drop into the opening or depression. Thelid being raised, the braces open,

, and, when the projection G reaches the prolongation it rises and'ridesover the latter, and'forms a s rin between the two braces so that whensaid projection arrives fully at the opening or depression F, it springs.thcreinto, or forms what is commonly called a snap, whereby the twobraces are locked, and the lid is held open. When the-lid is to belowered, a sharp blow thereon in the direction of the body ot' the trunkwill disengage the braces', the parts B G separating and the bracesfolding with the motion of the lid." The same result is accomplished bya blowon the braces, preferably behind the-prolongation or against thepivot of the braces.

It is evident that the projection G may be'formed tion will be the sameas previously described.

oh one of the braces, so as to relieve the pivot of the brace from anystrain when the trunk-lid is hurriedly raised, as well as to assist theoperation of locking.

other, and therebybe locked or engaged, substant-iallyas described.

2. The two braces O D, pivoted together, leaving a prolongation, E, inconnection with the locking mechanism'F G, formed on the straps, andoperating scribed.

To the above I have signed my name, this 19th day of April, 1870.

- LOUIS HIIJLEBRAND. 'VVitnesses:

DANIEL Wont,

I. O. SOHUELLERMANX.

on the prolongation, and the opening or depression in the shortbrace,(see figs. 3 and 4,) but the opera- 1 If desired, an additional stop, H,may be located w The stay, as constructed, may be made to fold totogether, substantially as and for the purpose de-,

